Once derided as soft for his reluctance to bark at players a la Bill Parcells, Phillips is viewed in a somewhat different light after formulating a training camp schedule that includes 12 days with two practices, the first of which was Sunday.

“Say what you want to say. You can't call Wade soft anymore,” linebacker Bradie James said after Sunday morning's workout, the team's first with pads.

“You can't be soft in this league to be as good as he's been. If I can get the media to say Wade is tough, we might get a break one day. We might get off one day. So write about that.”

With players training and practicing nearly year-round, two-a-days are fading from the NFL landscape.

Only Atlanta, with 14, has scheduled more days with two workouts. Baltimore, with 10, is the only other team in double figures. New England has yet to release a full schedule.

“I always tell them I want them to run as fast as they can run ... I'd rather them be quicker and faster (than big),” Phillips said. “You can see they can play up to their ability (when they are lighter).”

Phillips cited Bruce Smith as an example. The coach said the Hall of Fame defensive end was at his best when he went from 300 pounds to 275 pounds.

“Even though they are not as gigantic as they were, they are quicker,” said Phillips, who coached Smith in Buffalo. “They are faster. They can play better.”

Phillips said he leans on strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek's input when trying to determine weights.

“He has them for 16 weeks (for offseason conditioning), so he has a good feel,” Phillips said.

So how do the players feel about having so many two-a-days?

“You are asking a player if we want two-a-days? Of course, we are going to say no,” James said. “But from an organization standpoint, you got to have them.”

But 12 in an age when many teams are cutting back?

“Tell Jerry (Jones) and Wade that, and then see what we can come up with,” James said with a laugh.